1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ice making system for a refrigerator and more particularly to an ice delivery system mounted to a refrigerator closure member or door.
2. Description of Related Art
Automatic ice making systems for use in a home refrigerator are well known. Typically, ice making systems include an ice maker mounted within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and an ice storage receptacle or bin supported beneath the ice maker for receiving the formed ice from the ice maker. The ice maker is commonly mounted within the freezer compartment adjacent the side or rear wall of the freezer compartment such that water and power can be readily supplied to the ice maker. The ice storage receptacle is generally supported by a shelf structure beneath the ice maker within the freezer compartment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,979, to Linstromberg et al. is an example of a prior art ice making system.
Ice making systems may also include ice delivery systems for automatically delivering ice pieces or bodies from the ice storage bin to a dispensing position or space provided on the external surface of the refrigerator. Conveying means, conventionally in the form of horizontally arranged augers disposed within the ice storage receptacle, have been used for transferring ice pieces from the ice storage bin through an opening provided in the freezer compartment door such that ice pieces may be automatically dispensed.
Illustratively, U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,725, to Buchser, discloses an ice dispensing apparatus for use in a domestic refrigerator having an ice maker and an ice storage receptacle mounted within a freezer compartment. The ice storage receptacle extends across the freezer compartment and has a front end adjacent the freezer door. As illustrated, a wire auger is horizontally positioned within the bottom of the ice storage receptacle and is selectively rotated by a motor when ice dispensing is desired. Ice cubes are delivered from the storage receptacle to an external service area in the freezer door by means of a rotatable tubular drum having an internal helical auger blade. The tubular drum is mounted to the end of the wire auger. When the wire auger and tubular drum are rotated, ice pieces are moved horizontally forward in the ice storage receptacle to fall into a chute for passing the ice pieces through the freezer door to the service area.
Another ice dispensing apparatus is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,527, to Linstromberg et al., which discloses an ice dispensing apparatus for use in a domestic refrigerator having an ice maker and an ice storage receptacle wherein ice pieces are delivered by a delivery means from the ice storage receptacle to an external service area either in the form of crushed ice or integral whole ice pieces. As shown, the ice maker and ice storage receptacle are mounted within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. The ice storage receptacle extends across the freezer compartment and has a front end adjacent the freezer door. The transfer means comprises a rotatable wire auger horizontally disposed within the bottom of the ice storage receptacle. The wire auger has mounted at its distal end an auger blade. A motor is supported along the back wall of the freezer compartment and is drivingly connected to the wire auger. When the motor is energized, the wire auger conveys ice pieces horizontally forward toward the auger blade such that ice pieces are supplied into a delivery chute wherein ice pieces are passed through the freezer door to the external service area. An ice crushing system may be selectively engaged such that the ice pieces may be crushed prior to delivery to the chute.
As can be seen in all of the above mentioned patent references, one aspect of conventional ice making and dispensing systems is that they occupy a relatively large amount of freezer shelf space. In particular, the ice storage bin extends across the freezer compartment and occupies a large amount of freezer compartment space. This is perceived as a disadvantage by many consumers who generally prefer to have more available shelf space. Accordingly, it would be an improvement to provide an ice making system which occupied less freezer shelf space.
Another disadvantage of prior art ice making and delivery systems is that a relatively large motor is required to rotate the ice conveying auger which is commonly provided. The motor size is related to the force necessary to break up frozen ice and move ice pieces horizontally forward within the ice receptacle.
Another disadvantage of the prior art is that the amount of ice in the ice storage receptacle is not readily visually apparent. Moreover, conventional ice making systems having automatic ice dispensing systems do not allow for easy removal of the ice storage receptacle and bulk removal of ice pieces.